READING FC succumbed to a humiliating loss to Fleetwood Town on Tuesday evening.
Bosun Lawal opened the scoring in the second minute with a strike from range, before Dom Ballard tapped in to restore parity in the second half. But the Royals fell to their ninth league defeat of the season in stoppage time when Josh Vela scored the winner.
Here’s how the players fared:
David Button 6: Had a number of strong saves to keep his side in the contest. Couldn’t have done much with either of the goals.
Nesta Guinness-Walker 3: Not the defender’s night. Misplaced multiple short passes and his deliveries failed to find their target.
Nelson Abbey 6: Another strong showing, although appeared a little fatigued. Handled everything that came his way.
Harlee Dean 4: Never afraid to bring the ball forward, but sometimes did so at the cost of the team’s defensive structure. An unremarkable showing.
Tyler Bindon 4: Has struggled in the right back berth. Was unsure when to go forward or stay back and struggled in his individual duels.
Charlie Savage 5: Tidy but needs to dictate games more. Rattled the post with a fierce strike with the Royals chasing a winner.
Lewis Wing 5: Played some really promising balls in behind from deep positions. Made a couple of careless errors in the opening stages but also made some important defensive interventions.
Mamadi Camara 4: Didn’t look sharp and was forced off with a knock after half an hour.
Harvey Knibbs 3: Not really sure what he added to the cause this evening, besides getting through a good amount of running. Should have scored in the second period.
Dom Ballard 5: Spurned a great chance from point-blank range, but made amends by tapping in an equaliser soon after.
Sam Smith 6: Pressed hard from the front all evening and linked up the play well at times. Will be an important player for Reading this season.
Substitutes:
Femi Azeez 6: Changed the dynamic of the game, but ultimately still lacked genuine end product.
Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan 4: Had some chances to score but failed to take them.
Michael Craig: N/A
Matty Carson: N/A
